The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1887-10-22

sounds that l could not at first inter.
pret but slowly the knowledge came
70 me that my mother was sobbing
beside my bed. 1 tried to ask her
why she was grieving. but I could
not move or speak. The trance was
on me, l was sensitive, however. and
knew that l was lying upon hard
substance and not upon the comfort.
able mattress of my bed. 1 could
feel, too. very little covering over
me, and despite my eyelids being
down, the gloomy darkness of the
room could be detected. Where in
the world have they carried me to:
l thought.
presently heard my mothers
voice. and 1 knew that she was
speaking to my consin Mary, who
was staying In the house with us.
Poor Emma," she said. II was
so sure that God would spare her to
me. She struggled through that
dreadful illness only to die guilty in
her sleep at last. 1t is very hard,
Mary
II have often wondered since that
l did not die of horror at that mo.
ment, as l realized like a lighting
flash that they thought / was dead
and had put me in my coffin. They
were going to bury mel l strove
hard to speak. but the sphinx was
not more dumb than l. | tried to
stir but the rock of Gibraltar might
have moyed as easily. Must my life
be smothered out in a grave for want
of little speech or action now?' I
thought.
"'It is hard, indeed, dear aunt
replied Mary, "but His will be done.
You must arouse yourself. The un.
dertaker will close the coffin in few
minutes. Do you think Robert-Mr.
Purroy-will be here ?'
III hardly think so now," answered
my mother, wearily. "Something
must have happened to delay him.
He was to have arrived home yester.
day, but he did not come, and post
poned the burial until to day. He
had not heard of her death. Poor
fellow! The news will nearly kill
81 i'm. There is one person In the
world / think, who loved Emma as
well as did,"
40, Robert. Robert I cried with
silent voice. come quickly. If you
look at me you will know am not
81 heard a knock at the bedroom
door. Was it Robert? +? No 1t was
only the undertaken"
"'May close the coffin ?" he ask
ed, in professionally mournful, but
business like tones.
Nobody but myself knew that my
heart was beating, and [ hardly knew
it was the undertaken spoke. A sec.
and ofterward it seemed to me that
it throbbed loud enough for every
one in the room to hear it, for some
nody rang the door bell, and l knew
as we'll that it was Robert as though
my sealed eyes could have looked
through brick and wood and mortar
to see him standing outside. Softly
and quietly he entered the room
gravely and calmly he asked my
mother and MY cousin to leave him
for few minutes alone with lis
dead. He closed the door after they
had gone out, and stopping over the
coffin, gently kissed me. Then he
started. / heard the quick, nervous
movement, and 1 knew l was saved.
"He hastily called my mother. aud
the doctor was at once SUNNI ned.
He saw at once that life was not ex.
tinct. though he had been just as pos.
tive four days earlier that l was
quite dead.
MY husband declares that-an old
woman may say it now-I blushed
and smiled when he kissed mo. At
all events l lived to marry him, and
he would not part with that silver
coffin plate for ten times its weight
in gold."-iSdn Francisco Examiner.